I
was afraid of more falsehoods if I let him open his mouth. I'll go
and see.'
He went off, and we remained in suspense, Griff observing that he
had done his best, but poor Bill always would be a fool, and that no
one who had not always lived at home like me would have let out that
we had been for the suppression policy. As I was rather shocked, he
went off to bed, saying he should look in to see what remained of
Clarence after the pelting of the pitiless storm he was sure to
bring on himself by his ridiculous faltering instead of speaking out
like a man.
I longed to have been able to do the same, but my father kindly came
back to relieve my mind by telling me that he was better satisfied
about Clarence than ever he had been before. When encouraged to
speak out, the narrative of the temptation had so entirely agreed
with what we had said as to show there had been no prevarication,
and this had done more to convince my father that he was on the
right track than the having found him on his knees. He had had a
patient hearing, and thus was able to command his nerves enough to
explain himself, and it had ended in my father giving entire
forgiveness for what, as Griff truly said, would have been a mere
trifle but for the past. The voluntary confession had much
impressed my father, and he could not help adding a word of gentle
reproof to me for having joined in aiding him to withhold it, but he
accepted my explanation and went away, observing, 'By the by, I
don't wonder at what Griffith says of that room; I never heard such
strange effects of currents of air.
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